Tonight's criminal outburst has shocked the community. In defiance of claimed statistical improvements in crime indices, a recent murder-suicide and other seemingly random outbreaks have cast a pall over our struggling downtown, and again earned it unwanted attention from regional and national media.
If prior experience is any guide, official responses will be diversionary and unhelpful. The best, simplest and most useful contributions to this important discussion will be made in this space and elsewhere by simple civilians; residents, taxpayers, business owners and working folk. Contrast this with the absolute vacuity of city hall's responses to recent examples of law-breaking. How scant seems their take on "reality" as reflected in official "thinking" and their public pronouncements. There may indeed be a shortage of the funds needed to "take a bite out" of such outrages (a deficit sure to persist throughout 2012 despite a recent record-breaking tax increase), but truth be told; the greatest scarcity is in the area of official political imagination and resolve.
City hall is consumed in itself; stuck in a vicious circle of denial and Clintonian "spin." Instead of welcoming practical, work-a-day, hands-on advice from a highly educated New Rochelle population composed of some of the best minds in business, law and labor management, health administration and medicine, and, public and private finance in the entire nation, the administration continues to rely on its "well" of professional policing wisdom, and NYPD management practices (some of it shopworn).
All such sources have their place, but practically speaking, New Rochelle's problems are one-of-kind: a fast-growing population; a city-like suburb hampered by a declining fiscal foundation, and constrained by some fairly unique geographic challenges; a weaving-coastline, and a sausage-shaped border-line that makes geometric delineation of sectors or precincts exceedingly difficult, and efficient patrol car "prowling" almost impossible. Perhaps the solutions to its problems must be one-of-a-kind also. Perhaps the bureaucrats need to break some rules, and try some new things. But you wouldn't know this from the species of "intelligence" issuing from our police department or city manager's office. The most relevant commentary that we have been availed of seems to be of a rather limited and ancient vintage.
There exists a whole body of modern police theory and practice, in literature and software. Their most plain and obvious offerings include: creation of precincts/mini-precincts, utilization of bicycles and motor scooters, enlistment of auxiliary "resources" (unarmed, please!), electronic "monitoring" measures (limited, selective and discreet, please) and predictive "intelligence" packages. These would make a nice start to a wide-ranging town hall-type presentation and frank public problem-solving campaign. But this would require listening to simple civilians, benchmarking from neighboring village police departments, and even "cadging" from friendly academic and industrial institutions. More significant, it would require the council majority and city management to actually acknowledge the problem and its vast complexity. Their past record in such outreach and public engagement is not encouraging. The local body-politic prefers simpler goal-setting, like the promotion of positive environmental principles, rather than the more vexatious world of public policy and private misdeeds embodied in law enforcement.
Recent municipal elections provided virtually no discussion of public safety. Public forums/candidate presentations offered little consideration of the issue. After all, how could they? The majority-party slate studiously avoided the best mechanism for confronting it; free-ranging debate. On at least two occasions, debates with dates certain were simply ignored by a Democrat endorsement bearer; and ignored also by "journalists" supposed to be charged with covering these things for what passes for local TV/radio and press (daily and otherwise)!
More compelling, in the media's eyes, were the failings of our Republican "Big Daddy" mayoral hopeful and the elusive executive "achievements" of the "uncommonly intelligent" mayoral incumbent (as described by a fawning morning radio presenter). Consideration of delays in police response times, or gaps in fire department coverage, like discussion of simple potholes, was characterized as the tired carping of the "Grumpy Old Party"of Republicans! The solution to such electoral "negativity?" According to the jaded morning jock, "(t)he GOP needs to embrace its new more forward looking (sic) faces" !
Under assault from evildoers of the streets, our community seems ill-equipped to confront the theoretical issues, never mind actually defeat the "forces of anarchy!" The usual instruments of democratic problem-solving, a free press (see above), free assembly and the rest appear to be inoperable (or are they past their "expiration dates?"). How about the political process? What does it have to offer? The municipal government itself? The free political parties?
Local government? No, do not look for innovation in crime-fighting from this administration. Search all you want in its employee manual for "citizen empowerment" and "best practices" from business/NGO management. You will not find them. And do not interrupt the solemn deliberations or otherwise sully the gentle bonhomie of this august "body of seven" with unsolicited commentary on "citizens to be heard" night. This carefully stage-managed political operation is not accustomed to such free-ranging, over-the-transom contributions. That is not how a machine works.
Your new council wants to do things its own way, and if you have something to contribute, contact your local ward-healer please. The Democrat one. Republicans, independents? Hope, pray. Or just switch parties. And then wait in line.
stephen mayo’s comments
glad you are still about. very inciteful, practical, and mostly doable. best part is that it recognizes implicitly a new paradigm is required to cope with significant issues and acknowledges that a great deal of progress can be made even if prior circumstances or imprudent policy and decisions have made this difficult. I hear Stephen saying difficult is not the same as impossible and he adds to the dialogue, reinforces other bloggers, gives his unique perspective and what the hell have the decision makers got to lose?
It is more than it can be done, it must be done. Stephen will correct me if I am a little too presumptive by sharing a view I think he has expressed before and that is politics is not a good thing and the more it festers due to the rapacious hunger of 24 hour news services, information overkill from internet blogs, the foolishness of reacting to daily polls, etc…. the poorer we become as a people who can think, clearly, crisply, coherently, and yes, compassionately.
I am kind of pleased with harnassing a lifetime of arrogrance and anger that crippled me and try very hard to live up to the notion of hating the sin, not the sinner (in political terms and moral terms). I think the latest issue of the Sound Report covered some quotes by local office holders and I won't repeat them but check out the language used by Barry Fertel in terms of supporting the admininstration (my paraphrasing). I think it comes down to support us right or wrong. But, I could be wrong but it points out the failures of the political process.
I always get into trouble with this but I see great potential in Noam, but he must realize that we are on the precipice of major destruction where the most basic and necessary rights and protections are driving this City to the precipice. All emphasis must be place on the current state; all past sins, not as much forgiven, but not forgotten and the simple beginnng remedy is to go through the painstaking work needed to define and describe exactly where we are before venturing into solutions. We have no answers without a proper diagnosis.
I think there are a majority of council members who can drive this process and Noam is one. I continue to raise the simple point that Noam is not, repeat by City Code, a strong mayor but a ceremonial mayor with some extra powers require to deal with inter state, emergency and other affairs. Why is this important? Why is the rule of law important! My contention is that a simple reading of Article X and XII of the City Code state with no question that this is the case and that experience attorneys outside of government have validated this opinion. It is important because a proper exercise of power by the Council. (read their roles, relationships, and responsibilities) tell me that the past decade or more of political infighting should have taken a back seat to the exercise of explicit powers granted by each arm of City Government.
So, once again, as a taxpaying citizen who has affection and respect for the mayor and several members of the City Council, I say clearly do the job as intended, co-existed as needed, and if the Code is to be followed as it has been for a decade or more, put it up for referendum. We done that it in the past and I would love to read the language of that referendum to see how it differs from actual job performance.
You must understand that the crimes and misdemeanors can no longer be swept under the rug labeled the "economy." How the hell are we going to grow this city if we continue to see a deteriorating school district and a growing crime rate and rationalize business district growth by measures such as transfer of existing businesses from location A to B, "matching grants" for facades which means we must pay for the match as well as try to understand that a facade will not make someone come into a shop to buy a product. Neither will a ticket on the windshield encouraged by a City that is married to fee income as a revenue source.
Turn the development over to Freimuth with general policy guidelines and get the hell out of his way. Manage him as you would a line executive via council support, expectations, and results orientation. Council members, the majority of the population in this nation are identifying themselves as "independents" and that is how you should act and do it now.
Finally, if you do not invest a week in a full blown offsite of Council Members and other stakeholders; not the Peter Korns, O'Shaughessys, and other imbedded real "naysayers" who do not see or believe in new paradigmatic ways of governing during these different and difficult times. Try people like Mayo, Imbergia, 5the Avenue Guy, etc… if they are afraid of being "outed", I will buy them masks. And, don't forget me. Oddly, despite my pledge to avoid arrogance, I really know and understand what it takes to build a nation so I probably have some useful insights into building a community.
Bring in Cox, Ariz, Mark from the Shore publication. Get a grip on what is needed to rebuild and restore.
And finally, if there are reverends, rabbis, priests and others who process the "faith", get off your collective duffs and work your communities. And Strome, if you read this… you have the toughest job in the City bar none. You deserve our thanks. One small criticism, knowing accounting, mathematics and the like does not merit saying things like "no fat in the budget." Or even, as you did several years ago at Legion post 8, I challenge anyone to check the budget. I will accept that in a heartbeat but you will not like what I say because you will not get the support you need to do what is traditionally done…. cut out the headquarters staff, package or dismiss non-essential departments heads, and yes, this Police Commissioner is beginning to worry me. If he doesn't undersand that policing New Rochelle today is not what it was 3-5 years ago, if he or his superiors do not understand that there are elementally important things that must be done to bring things into the beginning of an alignment, well then, you ought to resign or Chuck, he serves at your pleasure.. tell him something simple like "present me with a plan to create a precinct on Main Street, what we need to move there to staff it without staff additions, and how it can interact with roving police patrols as well as citizens. Give it to me in detail in two weeks. Then get Iannucci to present a report on the baseline issues on contract negotiations with first providers, identify what is mandated, and what can be rebargained for, what can change by city direction on overtime, etc. and get Kathleen Gill to help you on the legal aspects.
Thats all I got for now. I need a nap. Oh yes, Council and Managers, the best in the City will support you on actions taken to restore a community and make the hard choices require to maintain stability. Look at the School District and the Tocci bill that led to the need to vote on budgets and board memberships. I have and nothing says you cannot change the voting date to May to conform to school calendars. Albany already does. And, nothing says you cannot develop some form of organizational arrangement to ensure a proper city role (you are supposedly to defend the district and the taxpayer) and this separate electorate stuff is a rationalization to avoid responsibility. Do it and forget about the helicopter parent, the fat union contributors, even the estimable sheldon silver. If any of our State elective officials are not stepping up to help you, let us know. Cox will print it and prior, look further into it. He, too, loves the city.
I love the City and if it cannot be one City (and it is not one NOW no matter what is said in the presss), well lets make it two.
God Bless the Council, the honest employee, and the posters who can rise about negativity and want the City to succeed. There are lots of these like Knitter and now I add Mayo
Crime in NR
Over this past weekend it is alledged that 4 to 5 men spent in excess of 2-3 hrs trying to break into a Jewelry Store on Main St. in Downtown NR. This is alledged to have happened during the saturday overnight.
How is it possible that NOT ONE NRPD patrol car took notice? Is it because only 4 Cops work the overnight.!!!!!!!!!
El Alcalde (the Mayor)
“Men often hate each other because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they can not communicate; they can not communicate because they are separated” (Martin Luther King, 1958).
I have come to the conclusion that Mayor Bramson and some of his cohorts on the City Council do not care about certain sectors of the New Rochelle Community – the poor, the working class, the senior citizens on fixed or below poverty incomes, the large immigrant population, those who have been marginalized by the economy. The Mayor doesn’t care because he is not seen in our community, he does not comment about the bad things that happen in our community and the only time we hear from him is when it is politically safe. He is not courageous, he is not bold, he does have charisma, and I must admit he was voted by the majority of people because of charisma. Meanwhile, the city is falling apart, structurally and morally. More importantly, he dismisses those who wish to help – those who speak up with solutions – he does not engage them because they are not within his circle of friends or perhaps they have critique him in the past. He must learn to grow up and stand above this, but I am not hopeful. Yes, he won the last election when a few New Rochelleans voted. Hurrah! I will continue to reach out to him even if he never responds to my emails.
Martin Sanchez